Bloggin' It From the 'Burbs

i heart faces - week 24: All about Babies

2010-06-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Since my very first newborn shoot is not until Wednesday, I am having to settle for one of the maternity photos I have shot recently.

To see more photos that are "All About Babies," head on over to i heart faces.

i heart faces - week 21: "yellow"

2010-05-23T21:12:00.001-07:00

Luckily, I had a ton of yellow photos to choose from, the tough part was narrowing it down.

Out here in western Oklahoma, many of the farmers choose to grow canola beans and for a couple of weeks in the spring the canola bean plants produce the most stunning fields of bright yellow flowers.

To see more "yellow" photos, head on over to i heart faces!

i heart faces - week 20: Faces and Flowers

2010-05-18T18:57:00.001-07:00

Good grief! I almost forgot to enter this week's challenge - shame on me. I had some photos with even more flowers on them, but they were on a different computer. And since I am getting this in just under the gun, I had to use what I had on hand : )

To see more "Faces and Flowers", head on over to i heart faces.

i heart faces: week 19 - Celebrating Mom

2010-05-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

I just did a whole post on my photography blog for Mother's Day with pictures from some of the women I have photographed with their children.

I love when moms decide to come out from behind the camera and have their special relationships with their children captured in photos.

To see more photos "Celebrating Mom", head on over to i heart faces!

Spring Festival

2010-05-03T14:09:00.001-07:00

Each year the elementary school here in town puts on a Spring Festival in which grades Pre-K through fifth perform.

Jack did amazing singing and dancing to Phineas and Ferb's Gitchy-Gitchy-Goo.

i heart faces: week 16 - collages

2010-04-19T08:25:00.001-07:00

I recently had the opportunity of photographing this precious little one for her first birthday portraits. The mom wanted a couple of storyboards/collages to choose from and here is one of them I came up with.

To see more collages, head on over to i heart faces.

It’s soccer season…again

2010-04-10T08:20:00.001-07:00

Yep, it’s soccer season. And Jack begged to play yet again. And despite my husband’s hatred toward the sport and the fact that he doesn’t think Jack should play organized sports until he is older, Josh still signed Jack up. I am only hoping to get another video like this one : )

Our Easter in (unedited) photographs

2010-04-05T10:48:00.001-07:00

We kicked off the Easter weekend on Saturday by decorating some eggs.

FYI: my kids are NOT naked. I just didn’t want extra laundry to do, so off came the shirts. That’s just the way we roll around here these days : ) Jack and Beau loved decorating the eggs. But Jack kept breaking them on purpose so that he could eat the boiled egg. Beau, wanting to be just like his older brother, followed suit only to discover hard boiled eggs were NOT his thing.

Sunday, Easter, was filled with a trip to church, Easter baskets with lots of goodies (that the boys inevitably fought over), and a little Easter egg hunt at Nana and Papa’s with just the two of them.

i heart faces: week 13 – Dramatic Black and White

2010-03-30T09:05:00.001-07:00

I am so late in getting my entry up this week especially since there are already over 1000 entries!! Absolutely amazing!!

I had a hard time choosing which one I wanted to use; but in the end the following won out: 1. because I like that I was lower on the ground taking the photo and the composition turned out pretty sweet, 2. the lighting was perfect!, 3. I love the DOF, and 4. that baby couldn’t get any cuter if he tried.

To see more “Dramatic Black and White” photos, head on over to i heart faces!

i heart faces: week 12 - “Focusing on Angles”

2010-03-23T06:56:00.001-07:00

Last week I had the most fun photo session with a group of high school girl friends. The girls were stunning and energetic and amongst stepping through plenty of cow “presents”, finding a big dead cat, and freezing our tooshies off – we still managed to have an amazing time and shared a lot of laughs.

I chose the following photo not only because of the tilt of the camera but because of all of the angles from the truck as well.

To see more photos utilizing various angles, head on over to i heart faces.

Meet Marvin

2010-03-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

I am a little behind on posting. One because the weather has been horrible and we haven’t really done too much and two the boys have been sick….constantly. In fact, since it is spring break this week, we were supposed to head to the city to spend the night in Bricktown and then head to Norman the next day to see the science museum; but because Beau was running a high temp and plagued with strep; Josh, Beau and I got to stay home while only Jack got to go with his grandparents, aunt and uncle and cousins. Maybe we’ll try a repeat of the trip this summer. Hopefully by that point-in-time my kids will be well…I’ll keep my fingers crossed but I won’t hold my breath.

Anywho, a couple of weeks ago, the hubby and Jack headed to Colorado to help Josh’s aunt and uncle move to Oklahoma. It happened to be the same weekend Jack got to bring the class pet, Marvin the Monkey, home.

Here are Marvin’s diary entries for their weekend together:

Friday, Feb. 6, 2010 - Today, I got to leave school early with Jack Brookshire. We headed to Jack’s house where we quickly loaded up his daddy’s truck so that we could begin our journey to Colorado in order to help his Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Bill move from Trinidad to Hinton. The trip was long but Jack took good care of me. We watched movies on his DVD player, ate lots of junk food and even took a nap. We reached our destination around 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 7, 2010 - Today we all woke up early so that we could get a head start on loading up all the trucks and moving van with furniture, clothes, toys and dishes. Our plan was to leave Colorado around noon but we got held up a little when Jack and I had to make a visit to the Trinidad Emergency Room. While Jack was playing with his cousin Devin, Jack accidentally fell on his arm and everyone was scared he might have broken it. After having x-rays done, we discovered Jack had only sprained his arm. It was a huge relief and we finally got on the road to Oklahoma around 6:00. This time instead of riding in Jack’s daddy’s truck, we got to ride in the big U-Haul moving van with Uncle Bill. We finally got into Oklahoma around 4:30 in the morning and boy were we tired. Since it was so late, Aunt Jeannie and Uncle Bill got to have a sleepover at Jack’s house.

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2010 - Luckily, we all got to sleep in this morning because boy were we tired!. But then it was back to work. Everything we loaded onto the trucks and van yesterday, we had to unload into Uncle Bill and Aunt Jeannie’s new house. Then tonight, we got to go to Jack’s cousin Owen’s house for his third birthday party. It was a Dinosaur party and we ate hotdogs and cake and then played pin the tail on the dinosaur and watched Owen open his gifts. It was so much fun!

i heart faces: Week 10 - “Jump For Joy”

2010-03-09T15:48:00.001-08:00

This week’s theme over at i heart faces is “Jump For Joy.” ‘

To see more jumping photos, head on over to i heart faces.

My soap box: keeping them innocent

2010-02-26T20:48:00.001-08:00

So, I have been reading a lot lately and I have a few things I want to get off my chest.

First of all, before I get into my little tirade, let me start by saying I am whole heartedly for the first amendment. I am a huge advocate of freedom of speech and press. Furthermore, I do not believe in the banning or burning of books. Government should not play that kind of censorship roll in our community.

However, I do think it is our responsibility as parents to censor what our children read; but, how do we do this without discouraging our children from reading all together?

Most of the books I have been reading lately have been young adult fiction. I choose to read these because they are entertaining, usually well-written, and they don’t include a lot of the “sexier” scenes that adult fiction usually has. I’m not a prude, I just don’t like to blush while reading a novel : )

The thing is, the more I read young adult fiction, the more I realize how much the times have changed. Maybe I was ignorant and naive during my adolescent years, but I honestly don’t remember adult language and sexual content being embedded within the books I read.

I realize that kids are going to hear bad words at school and hear about who is sleeping with whom; but shouldn’t we try to protect their innocence for as long as we can? To me there is no need for our children to be bombarded with these sorts of things 24/7; but I am at a loss for how to do this without discouraging my children from reading.

What are your thoughts on this? If you have young adults, how do you go about “censoring” (for lack of a better word) what they read or do you at all? With a five-year-old and a two-year-old, I am obviously not to this hurdle quite yet, but I would love some ideas for future reference.

i heart faces: Fix-It Friday #45

2010-02-26T08:09:00.001-08:00

What a fun photo for this week’s challenge – I absolutely love the perspective!!

Here is the before:

Here is the after:

To see more Fix-It Fridays, head on over to i heart faces.

The ceaseless chaos

2010-02-24T11:44:00.001-08:00

And I don’t just mean the weather.

The phrase “ceaseless chaos” about sums up my life in general over the past few weeks.

You’ve read about my hairy, or rather hairless, situation with Beau and how Jack instigated the whole thing; but I haven’t subjected you to all of the other “happenings” in a house with two boys….until now.

For some reason, Jack seems to play the lead roll in most of the stories around here; which is weird, because I like to think of him as my mellow child. However, incident after incident has occurred with him as of recently. Maybe it’s because he is five. Maybe it’s because he is a boy. Or maybe it is because I have no idea what I am doing as a mother. Any of those reasons are highly plausible.

It all started a few weeks ago when I went to pick Jack up from school. His teacher informed me he had been sent to the principle’s office for…get this…. peeing in the bathroom. Not in a urinal or a toilette, mind you, but rather in the actual bathroom floor. I got him to the car and immediately started crying. In all my years of school, NEVER was I EVER sent to the principle’s office (yes, I was somewhat of a goodie-goodie). So how I was to handle my son’s being sent in for discipline in only his first year of school was beyond me.

We talked about it for a long while with him insisting over and over again that he didn’t know why he did it, only that he “just did.” Until finally, after 20 minutes of my crying episode and trying to get to the bottom of such out-of-character behavior on his part did he finally say, “But mom, there’s a drain in the bathroom, don’t-cha know?”

Leave it to the plumber’s kid to think it is okay to pee in the drain on the bathroom floor. I called the school to make sure we were not having a lying problem as well. With a laugh, the teacher and the principle both assured me that he had peed near the drain and that come-to-think of it, he probably was not the first…just the first to be caught.

Next on the list, was a purple play-doh issue. Jack woke up screaming one night about his ear hurting and with as many problems as we’ve endured with Beau’s ears, I assumed that it was an ear infection. The next morning I took Jack to the doctor who discovered he had shoved a whole bunch of purple play-doh in his ear. It had hardened and had to be scraped and flushed out.

Then came the hair issue.

Then Monday Jack was sent to the principle’s office again. This time for acting up while the teacher was gone. The principle assured us that it wasn’t a big deal. He is a good and smart boy whom teacher’s expect a lot out of and when he acted up on Monday, along with everyone else, he was the one that got reprimanded….at least that is what the principle said.

Today, I received yet another call from the school. This time to inform me that Jack was sick. They asked me to come and pick him up and bring clothes when I did. (Baloney, you will totally love this story! for the rest of you it is probably TMI – but, that’s how I roll these days).

When I got to the school, I was directed to the nearest boys bathroom, which coincidentally had a “Bathroom Closed” sign handing on the door; and upon entering, there was Jack sitting naked from the waist down on a stool loaded down with paper towels and baby wipes. To be honest, it was one of the funniest and saddest things I had ever seen. Had I had my phone with me, I totally would have taken a picture.

Apparently a major case of diarrhea had gotten the better of Jack along with all of his clothes and shoes.

Like I said….ceaseless chaos!! Maybe by finally getting this all out in the open, life around here will calm down….I’m not holding my breath though.

i heart faces – week 8: Hands On Fun

2010-02-22T06:46:00.001-08:00

Wow! What a challenging theme for this week’s i heart faces - instead of focusing on the face, they have chosen a theme that focuses on the hands. Of course I wanted to not miss out but coming up with a photo proved to be rather difficult. I really wanted the hands to tell a story and to show some kind of relationship. I am hoping that the photo didn’t have to just have hands, because here is what I came up with:

To see more hands-y photos, head on over to i heart faces.

i heart faces – Fix-It Friday #44

2010-02-19T08:49:00.001-08:00

I had to join in this week’s Fix-It Friday over at i heart faces because a RAW version of the photo was provided and man, do I heart RAW!! In fact, that is primarily what I shoot in at all times these days because it can be so forgiving and you can do most of your editing in Adobe Camera Raw without compromising the quality of your photo.

Here is the original from this week:

And here is my fix:

The original has a bit of a blue tint and is underexposed. So I opened it in ACR and went to town. I have learned to work so quickly and methodically in ACR, that I completely forgot to write down my steps; but here is the gist of it: I white balanced, straightened and cropped. I upped the exposure, the blacks, the brightness, the contrast the clarity, vibrance and saturation. I went into the details portion of ACR (it is the little button that has the two overlapping triangles) and upped the making the luminance and the color to get rid of some of the noise.

Now it was time to open it up in Photoshop for a few last touches.

It still was not bright enough for me, so I created a new brightness/contrast layer and upped the brightness to 71 and the contrast to 3.

Next I wanted to add a little texture, so I went to Flickr, found what I was looking for here, downloaded it and opened it in Photoshop. I then flipped it all around until I had the dark side on the left, then placed it on top of my photo. I didn’t want the red splotches in the photo, so I increased the texture size until those portions were hanging off of the photo.

I chose to use the Texture as an Overlay with the opacity set at 70%. Next I created a layer mask and used a soft round brush set at 66% opacity and 30% flow and went over just her face and hair.

Next, I ran PW’s Boost action at 25% and then flattened image.

Lastly, I ran the Coffee Shop Perfect Portrait action which opens it’s own levels window where I bumped the left arrow in to 6 and the right arrow in to 250. Then all of these different layers open so that you can adjust according to taste:

Sharpen – 40%
Brighten – 20%
Turn off vivid color
Color Pop – 10%
Urban grit – ran a soft brush over everything but the girl and set the opacity to 25%
Turned off whiten teeth
Turned off whiten whites
Eye define – used soft brush set at 30% opacity
Bright eyes – used soft brush set at 50% opacity
Soft Skin – still a little bit of noise, so used a soft brush opacity at 35%
Dodge and Burn – used a soft black brush on left side of photo and set the opacity to 30%
Vignette – set opacity to 75%

Flatten image, save and you are done!!

My little deviant (a.k.a the instigator)

2010-02-18T10:20:00.001-08:00

The story of Beau’s hack job only gets better.

When I found Beau in the bathroom shaving his head on Tuesday, he was not in there alone….Jack stood by quietly watching the whole scenario unfold. He was an innocent bystander… maybe a little too innocent.

I began to question him -

Me: Jack did you cut Beau’s hair?

Jack: No, mom! He did it all by himself (insert look of “how dare you accuse me of such a thing!”).

Me: Did you tell Beau to cut his hair?

Jack (looking everywhere but at me): Ummmmm, No.

Me: What exactly did you say to Beau, Jack?

L000000nnnnnngggggg

paaaaauuuuuuuse…..

Me: Jack?

Jack: I told him I thought it would be a good idea (insert innocent grin).

So all day yesterday, I faced comments about Beau’s hair, or rather, lack-there-of.

And all day yesterday, I got to hear about boys and that age, and that’s just what they do.

I would laugh and say “But Jack never did anything like that. He was always so laid back and good. But Beau…well, Beau’s my handful.”

Then, as we were gathered around the dinner table last night, I noticed a big bald spot on Jack’s head that he had cleverly hidden by combing the rest of his hair over it.

Yeah, real funny Jack! Just hilarious!!

And who says he can’t hack it?

2010-02-16T18:35:00.001-08:00

After just one round with daddy’s facial clippers, I’d say Beau did a pretty sufficient job of hackin’ off most of his hair.

So much so, that I had to shave the rest of it off.

And that has just been one small portion of my day.

i heart faces – week 7 - “I Wanna Dance”

2010-02-14T19:50:00.001-08:00

Since I couldn’t find any other dancing photos, I had to use yet another one from August.

This little guy was totally bustin’-a-move on that dance floor, and dang was he cute while dancin’ the night away!

To see more “I Wanna Dance” photos, head on over to i heart faces.

And the nomination goes to…

2010-02-09T12:07:00.001-08:00

So this time last year, this blog was nominated for an Okie Blog Award. I was thrilled, elated and honored. It didn’t matter that this little piece of cyberspace didn’t win, it was simply the fact that anyone cared enough to nominate “…From The Burbs”in the first place.

Over the past six months, “…From the Burbs” has kind of taken a backseat as I have been rearranging my life to fit around a five-year-old who is now in school full-time, a two-year-old who only goes to school twice-a-week, my constantly under-construction home, and of course my new photography business.

I knew that my personal blog would not be up for an award this year and I was okay with that….really : ) What I wasn’t expecting was to find my photography blog up for an award! How crazy is that?!?! Of course I am up against the Pioneer Woman of all people and some other really amazing Oklahoma photographers, so there is like zero chance of winning; but again, I am truly honored to even have been nominated for this category.

If you are an Oklahoma blogger, please head on over to http://oklahomablogawards.blogspot.com to check out all of the other categories and nominees. And if you get a chance, place your vote before this Sunday.

Some friends who are also up for awards that I’m sure would also appreciate your vote: Food Blog: Dishin and Dishes

Family Blogs: Dawn’s Diversions and Decisionally Challenged

Rural Blogs: Brit Gal in the USA

Best Tulsa Blog: That’s Baloney!

Food Blog: Dishin and Dishes

(I hope I got everyone, if not leave me a message and I will be sure to add you)

i heart faces - “We Heart Kisses”

2010-02-07T22:05:00.001-08:00

“'Twas not my lips you kissed
But my soul”
~Judy Garland

I know it is completely shameful that I am using a photo that I took back in August. But the weather around here has just been so terribly cold and wet…and when the weather is cold and wet, I tend to hibernate : )

To see more “Kissy” photos (and probably more recently taken ones at that), head on over to i heart faces.

Play-date

2010-02-05T15:18:00.001-08:00

Today, Beau had a little friend over. Some of you might recognize him from my friend Stacey’s blog, “My Life as a Military Wife”

Stacey and Chase were in town under some rather sad circumstances. One of Stacey’s dearest friends passed away unexpectedly last weekend and the funeral was today.

Rather than hauling this cutie-patootie to a funeral, I was happy to keep him. After all, he and Beau are only a few months apart in age and boy, did they have a blast.

Not only did they entertain each other, but they kept me pretty entertained as well. Chase called Beau “O”, and Beau called Chase “Case”…..it was pretty darn cute! (You can soooo tell that my kid is the one on the left – he really hates my camera!)

Chase, next time you are in town, you be sure to get your mommy to bring you back over to play.

i heart faces - Textures

2010-01-25T09:20:00.001-08:00

This week’s theme is textures. I took this engagement photo a couple of weeks ago and am in love with it. The blanket wrapped around the couple was given to them by the bride’s mother. It was a wedding gift presented to her back in on November 22, 1963 – coincidentally, the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. What a great heirloom to pass down to their children one day!

To see more texture photos, head on over to i heart faces.

i heart faces – Fix-It Friday

2010-01-22T07:54:00.001-08:00

It has been a while since I participated in i heart faces’ Fix-It Friday, but I just couldn’t resist this week’s challenge.

Sticking with the “We are Family” theme from this week, Angie and Amy decided to highlight a very special family. Although I don’t follow this woman’s blog personally, I do follow Angie’s blog and she often talks of the trials this family is going through.

“The dad in this family has been struggling with cancer for years and they found out the devastating news in December that his cancer is now terminal. They are now doing everything they can to enjoy the rest of the time they have together on this earth.”

Having lost a grandmother to cancer myself, I know how devastatingly hard dealing with this disease can be. I hope you will join Angie, Amy, myself, and the rest of the blogging community in praying for this family’s continued strength and perseverance in the time ahead of them.

On that note, here is my submission for this week’s Fix-It Friday:

Original: My Fix#1:

To get to this point, here are the steps I took using PSCS4:

First off, I cropped and rotated the image.
I duplicated the layer to make some color adjustments.

Go up to image – adjustment – levels – RGB – move left slider to 23, right slider to 240 and middle slider to 85
Go up to image – adjustments – levels – Blue – middle slider to 90
Go up to image – adjustments – Hue/Saturation – Reds saturation to –7
Vibrance +2, Saturation +1

3. Flatten Image

4. Next, I used the doge tool to rid the kid’s faces of some shadows. I used a soft brush with the opacity set at 6% and ran it over mostly the eyes first with the midtones selected and the the shadows selected.

5. Ran Boutwell magic glasses at 40%**

6. Ran Slice like a ninja at 15%**

7. Next I added two different textures. I wish I could tell you where I got them, but I have no idea. When I find something I like, I simply save it into a designated folder on my desk top. Since I don’t want to infringe on anyone’s copyright legalities, I won’t share them here. Sorry.

The first texture I chose to run as a “Soft light” with the opacity set at 55%

I then added a layer mask and using a soft brush with the opacity set at 100% and the flow at 41%, I ran it over the skin of the 3 kiddos.

Next, with a soft brush set at 35% opacity, flow still set at 41%, I ran it over the clothes just a little bit

Then I added the second texture but decided to use this one as an overlay with the opacity at 28%

Again, I added a layer mask and using the same brushes as before I repeated the same steps with the skin and clothes.

8. Flatten Image.

9. I felt the image was a little dark so I ran TRA’s Clarify at 15%

Again, here is my final image:

My Fix #2:I wanted to go for a little more drama, so I created one more fix-it by running TRA’s Bit%$& Black and White at 100%, but I opened it up and lowered the curves to 70%. I then ran TRA’s Boring Selenium at 50%, Antique Tone at 50%, flattened the image. Then used a burn tool set at 15% for around the corners.

** – these actions are free at Totally Rad Actions

Belated much?

2010-01-20T16:11:00.001-08:00

So, I was browsing through my posts the other day and realized that although I did wish Jack a happy birthday back at the beginning of December, I never did an actual post about his party.

What a horrible mother I am; but I do have my excuses: 1. his birthday party was rescheduled a couple of times do to his having strep throat 2. his birthday is in December when there are five million other things going on, and 3. I was in the midst of putting together a ton of Christmas cards for my clients – I was amazed I even got mine out this year.

But those are all just excuses. Truth is, I just completely forgot to do one. Better late than never though…

Jack really wanted to have a Monster’s vs. Aliens birthday party this year. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything like that in the 10 different party stores I went in to. I could have ordered it, but again, I’m a horrible mother and procrastinated and just did not have the time to get everything in without paying a small fortune in express shipping and handling fees.

Amazingly, his daddy somehow talked him into having a Marvel Superhero birthday party (a theme I am sure that daddy himself would love to have at his own party – comic book geek – lol).

All the kids in attendance were provided with masks.

Even Beau got his own mask, although he had a little trouble getting it on the right way.

But after a lot of help, Beau WAS Spiderman.

Overall, despite Jack’s still being a little puny, despite it not being a Monster’s vs. Aliens birthday party, Jack still had a wonderful time. It’s a toss up as to whether he enjoyed his gifts more or seeing so many friends and family members at his house to celebrate his special day. Oh who am I kidding? The boy is five – of course he enjoyed his gifts more : )

i heart faces – “We Are Family”

2010-01-18T07:24:00.001-08:00

*Update - The following photo placed 5th in this week's contest!

“When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses.” ~Joyce Bro

To see more family photos, head on i heart faces.

Top and bottom half issues

2010-01-12T10:57:00.001-08:00

Last week we started potty-training Beau. At first, it was like pulling teeth to get the boy to even want to wear underwear. It didn’t matter that every time he had a stinky diaper, he would bring you a diaper and wipes and lay down on the floor so that you could change him. It didn’t matter that he could use the toilette – he simply did not want to be bothered with taking the time to go and sit while he did his thing.

But only after a few accidents, I am happy to say he is potty-trained at the ripe young age of 2-years-and-not-quite-5-months old. Woo-hoo! Way to go Beau!!

As for his issues with the top half, we had to go back to the ENT yesterday to have one of his tubes in his ear redone. The poor thing just can’s seem to get over all of these ear infections.

i heart faces – week 2

2010-01-10T11:25:00.001-08:00

i heart faces is celebrating one year as a photography community this week and they are doing it in style! You should see the guest judges they have lined up for this week:

Jose Villa ♥ Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) ♥ Angie Monson
Nate Kaiser ♥ Sheye Rosemeyer ♥ Becker
Simon Pollock ♥ Rebekah Westover ♥ Amy Wenzel
Justin & Mary Marantz ♥ Rog Ellsworth
Michael Howard ♥ Patti Schmidt ♥ Raya Carlisle
Lori Nordstrom ♥ Lyndzee Ellsworth ♥ Donna Boucher

Seriously, that is one amazing list!!

In honor of i heart faces’ birthday bash, they have chosen to focus on, get this, faces this week!

I photographed this lovely young lady back at the beginning of December and decided to share her cutie-patootie face with all of you.

To see other beautiful faces this week, head on over to i heart faces.

Do you have a favorite?

2010-01-04T19:15:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone! I am running a little contest over on my photography blog and I am sure that some of my clients would really appreciate your vote. If you have a chance, would you go over to Melinda Brookshire Photography and vote on your favorite photo?….please : )

i heart faces – week 1

2010-01-04T15:30:00.001-08:00

You did not read the title incorrectly! It is week 1 again over at i heart faces. Can you believe it has been one year since that amazing site took off? I was looking over a few of my older entries the other day and was amazed at how far my photography has come in just one year.

This week’s challenge is a little bit different though. With it being the one year anniversary, those lovely ladies, Amy and Angie, have challenged us to stretch our photography skills even more by including their logo in our photos. Upon tackling this theme, I quickly realized I need a lot more practice using Photoshop! : )

Anyway, “I am submitting the following photos into the I Heart Faces logo photo contest. By entering, I am granting I Heart Faces LLC permission to consider my photo for use in the marketing and promotion of their website.”

Happy Anniversary I Heart Faces!!! May you have many, many more!!

Christmas Festivities – take 2

2009-12-29T20:40:00.001-08:00

They came -

They played (with the other’s toys…go figure) -

They conquered -

(and now I am on day 3 of conquering the mess)

Christmas Festivities – take 1

2009-12-29T16:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas around the Brookshire household is always chaotic to say the least. This year proved no different.

Not only is the day of Christmas packed with places to go, people to see, and presents to unwrap; but even in the days leading up to, we make sure our kiddos don’t ever have a chance to complain of boredom.

One evening, we (meaning me, the hubby, our two boys, my sister-in-law and her hubby and their two kids, my mother-in-law and father-in-law, and the hubby’s grandma – yes, we had to take the church van to fit our large crowd) drove down to Chickasha, Oklahoma. We ate at Jake’s Rib and then drove through the Festival of Light.

Then, the next evening, the boys and I decorated a gingerbread train.

The boys were really OCD about having the train look exactly like the one on the box.

Then came Christmas Eve. After we ate a huge meal (I think I must have thought I was feeding an army) with Nana and Papa, we carried through with our usual traditions:

We wrote Santa some letters.

And fixed the big man and his reindeer some snacks.

Then we read The Night Before Christmas and settled down for a long winter’s nap (well, the boys did anyway – daddy and I had to stay up and wait for Santa to come so that we could assemble all of those gifts he always drops off – why he can’t preassemble them is beyond me).

Guest Judge!

2009-12-28T22:26:00.001-08:00

I am one of the guest judges this week over at i heart faces and I couldn't be more excited!

The theme this week is "Hilarious Outtakes," which would include photos like this one - Choose anywhere from 1-5 photos that crack you up, follow the directions for having a valid entry, and then post a link to them on the i heart faces linky. Since I am one of five judges, I won't get to stop by and see all of the entries, so if you decide to post some of your favorites, leave me a comment here or on the special page they set up for me. I would love to see what my readers/followers contribute!

Dance party 09

2009-12-23T21:00:00.001-08:00

Good vs. evil

2009-12-22T09:05:00.001-08:00

I think from the following photo you can tell which of my boys made Santa’s nice list and which one made his naughty list.

Yes, Jack loves Santa and can’t wait for him to leave a “monster truck that looks like a shark and floats” under the Christmas tree this year.

Jack has always been enthralled with planes, trains and automobiles.

Beau likes them too (if they are big enough for him to run over stuff) but I’m pretty sure he’d rather have a gun. Not really a comforting thought for a mother.

It’s a good thing he is so stinkin’ cute, because if he wasn’t he’d be in a whole lot of trouble. Maybe that’s the problem….

Christmas Pageant

2009-12-21T22:09:00.001-08:00

For weeks, our children’s ministry at church practiced for a Christmas Pageant. All we knew was that Jack would be one of the stable animals. For some reason, despite our arguing with him, Jack had it in his head that he would be playing the role of a giraffe (yeah, I’m still not real sure where he got that idea from).

However, when the evening of the Pageant finally rolled around, he did not act at all disappointed that he would not be dressed as a giraffe, but rather as a ~~Jack a~~…a donkey.

Of course he could have just been excited that his friends and family, especially his cousin Brynnley, had all come to see him.

Either way, he was so stinkin’ cute up there in his big floppy ears swaying to all of the songs they sang.

Fun in the sun

2009-12-21T16:31:00.001-08:00

This should be my last post on our trip to Florida and then maybe I can get to some more recent happenings.

Again, I said the trip wasn’t too relaxing; but, that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy a little bit of sun and fun.

Even though it was November, Jack couldn’t resist getting into the ocean.

Beau was a little more skeptical.

He would have rather just stayed on dry land, playing in the sand

or with grandma.

But with a little bit of help from his loving big brother, he finally made it out into the ocean.

Bachelorette party

2009-12-21T16:00:00.001-08:00

Yes, I am still writing about our trip to Florida for my sister’s wedding. “Why?,” you ask…because that is the way I roll these days. I am late for everything. I don’t have an excuse except that is just the way life seems to be for me right now.

Two nights before the wedding, the 19th of November, I had the pleasure and honor of hosting my sister’s bachelorette party.

Because we like to live on the edge, we partied like rock stars – we went and saw the midnight showing of New Moon!

The movie was terribly cheesy, but then again, so am I. In fact, I sort of went crazy (well, as crazy as I could since I didn’t live there) with the whole Twilight theme. From pretty plates

and Appletinies,

to black candles

and little chandeliers – it was all a little over the top.

In fact, I even made cake pops that looked like apples! Again, very cheesy; but they were a huge hit!

**New Moon image borrowed from http://www.whitbylibrary.on.ca/teens

The whole truth

2009-12-08T21:33:00.001-08:00

Last week when I told you about our little trip to Florida for my sister’s wedding, although I didn’t lie, I wasn’t completely truthful either.

I had said we didn’t really get to catch up on some much needed R&R, which is true; but what I didn’t tell you was that we did get to have a little bit of fun while we were there.

One morning we got up bright and early and rented a boat. When I say “we,” I mean my parents. The boys, my hubby, my sister, my now brother-in-law, his brother, my uncle and my aunt just tagged along for the ride…it was cheaper that way : )

The weather was gorgeous…a little chilly (which my dad loathes) …but nevertheless, gorgeous!

We saw… dolphins;

and the boys thought it would be fun to feed the birds…

maybe for them it was; but for the rest of us, well, we took cover.

Happy birthday little man!!

2009-12-08T20:43:00.001-08:00

It is amazing how fast five years can fly by.

Your daddy and I couldn’t love you more or be more proud of you!!

i heart faces – week 48

2009-12-07T08:26:00.001-08:00

This week’s theme over at i heart faces is “Sweet Dreams.”

I love the following photo for a few reasons: 1. the irony of all the caffeinated drinks along with two passed out kiddos, 2. the extremely disheveled car definitely screams boys, and 3. the angle from which this photo was taken (although I strongly recommend not taking this while driving).

To see more “Sweet Dream” photos, head on over to i heart faces. Now I’m off to take a nap of my own before these two hoodlums get home : )

Travelin’ cross country

2009-12-02T19:33:00.001-08:00

If you are my friend on Facebook, then you probably followed along with my mobile uploads and such as my family and I made our way across the states to Florida….that’s a 15+ hour drive, for those of you who were wondering.

Not an easy trip when you have two kiddos in the back seat either. Thank the good Lord for portable DVD players!! We own 3 – one for each child and then one just in case one of the other ones breaks : )

The hubby and I were curious about New Orleans, so we took a little detour and quickly realized upon arrival, that the Big Easy is not a good place for children; and so we kept driving.

Finally we made it to Destin – our final destination. Ultimately we went there for my little sister’s wedding; but we were really hoping to catch up on some much needed R&R as well…no such luck.

The week was packed: from tying ribbons on programs

and putting together favor boxes (yes, this is my sister’s now husband; but at the time, I’m sure he was thinking “what have I gotten myself into?”… just kidding, he was a great sport!)

to parties (more on this later)

and pampering. (actually, that part wasn’t so bad *wink*)

It was almost a relief when the big day finally arrived.

My sister was a beautiful bride and the wedding was gorgeous… and very personal – my dad married the couple, and the rest of us were in the wedding: I was matron of honor, the boys were the ring bearers, and my sister-in-law and brothers were also a part of the wedding party.

Anyway, that is just a quick re-cap of our trip. I kind of promised on Monday I would try and post something about it this week so there it is. I have lots more photos (most of these were from my cell phone) and stories, so stay tuned…but don’t hold your breath because I don’t know when I’ll get to them : )

i heart faces – week 47

2009-11-29T21:52:00.001-08:00

I realize I still haven’t blogged about our trip to Florida or my sister’s wedding…I’m really hoping I can get to it this week….but don’t hold your breath : )

This week’s theme over at i heart faces is “We heart tooshies” – how fun is that?!!

It was really hard for me to choose a photo for this week. I have so many photos of my boys’ rear-ends (mainly because they are extremely unwilling subjects when it comes to photos. It is inevitable that when they see mama pull out the camera, they book it in the opposite direction, leaving me with nothing to photograph but their backsides).

The following photo was taken back in July during our rodeo here in small town America when my four-year-old son Jack decided he wanted to participate in the mutton busting contest – or as I like to call it, legalized child abuse. (But really, when it came right down to it, I think he just wanted a cowboy outfit….)

To check out some other “tooshies” head on over to i heart faces.

i heart faces – week 46

2009-11-24T10:27:00.001-08:00

Well, we are finally back from our trip to Florida. It was a long trip but well worth it; although, I now feel as if I need a vacation from my vacation.

I will update you all on it later because right now I am in the midst of photo sessions and editing galore. I did, however, want to make sure I got in my i heart faces entry for the week since I have missed the last couple.

This week’s theme: “Sun Flare”

I posted this on my Facebook page not long ago. It is one of those photos that not everyone will love (after all, photography is definitely subjective) but for some reason it just makes my heart sing.

To see more “sun flare” photos, head on over to i heart faces.

Halloween Etiquette Checklist

2009-11-06T09:56:00.001-08:00

~~1. Dress up in whatever costume your mama bought you without complaining – no matter how goofy you think you might look.~~

2. Walk calmly to the front door of any given house – without barreling over other children…

…oh, and if you can’t walk by yourself, then you probably aren’t old enough to be Trick or Treating in the first place.

~~3. Hold out your bag and politely say trick or treat.~~

~~4. Thank the person who just gave you candy~~ – without adding an amendment such as “Thank you, but I don’t like raisins.”

5. Don’t throw a fit when you don’t get the same thing as the person next to you.

And last but certainly not least…

6. I realize you have taken a lot of photos this evening, but if someone who just gave you candy thinks you’re cute and would like to take your photo, don’t refuse them that joy, just as they did not refuse you that candy.

Two and a half out of six isn’t bad! Could use a little improvement for next year though.

This message has been brought to you courtesy of the Brookshire boys.

Flashback Friday

2009-11-06T08:23:00.001-08:00

November’s theme: “Family Ties.” Post pics of you and your family, immediate or extended.

Where October went, I have no idea. But here it is November already and time for a new Flashback Friday theme. This month we are celebrating family.

I’m thrilled because next week, I am headed out of town to see much of my extended family. My sister is getting married and so everyone will be there - aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.... It feels like the last time I saw many of these people was seven years ago at my own wedding – how sad is that?! But since our moving to Oklahoma, I have had little opportunity to go back east and visit with my relatives and I can’t tell you how sad that makes me.

It just seems like life passes us by so quickly; and for some reason we don’t seem to take the time to spend with loved ones. These two girls are my cousins, Gina and Tabitha (who will probably kill me for posting this photo on here); and my brother and I are the ones on the backs of the bikes. This was taken in West Palm Beach, Florida (our favorite place to vacation growing up).

Obviously a lot of time has passed between this picture and now. Life has led us all down different paths and each of us now has our own families to take care of. Unfortunately life and distance has caused us to grow apart; but when we do get together every few years, it’s as if we’re magically transported back to when life was simpler.

i heart faces – week 43

2009-11-01T18:17:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, I did a photo shoot with some old college buddies and their children. They are such a fun family I knew we had to do something exciting; so, I took them to some old abandoned rail cars, gave them some balloons, and let them have at it.

When I saw this week’s theme at i heart faces was “Balloons” I knew I would choose a photo from this particular session.

To see more “Balloon” photos, or to join in yourself, head on over to i heart faces.

Spooky or sweet?

2009-10-31T23:05:00.001-07:00

Crazy stalker fans

2009-10-30T10:30:00.001-07:00

So last night, I could have easily qualified for a stalker. I went to PW’s book signing in Oklahoma City with my friend Kaci (another crazy fan who you can see more of on my photography blog).

(can you tell I’m just a tad bit excited!?!? – so pathetic!)

We weren’t alone though. There were hundreds and hundreds of people there all to see Ree (I can call her that now…we bonded). I even got to see one of my old college buddies, who appears regularly on my blog during Flashback Fridays, Mandy.

We saw Ree’s punks; and the girls even came around to sign the cookbooks.

And I even got a couple of seriously creepy stalker photos of Marlboro Man (me being the stalker, not Marlboro Man).

And so, after waiting in line for three hours, it was my turn! Of course, as my luck would have it, my camera malfunctioned, aka – it ran out of batteries because I’d been taking too many pictures. But eventually I got it to where we could at least get a few photos, in focus or not.

And somehow, during this fiasco with the camera, Ree and I started to mess with our hair and then we got on the subject of our annoying cowlicks.

We sympathized with one another, we felt each other’s pain, and like I said earlier, we bonded.

Flashback Friday

2009-10-30T08:47:00.001-07:00

October’s theme: “Costume Party.” You can post photos of you or your children dressed in some sort of costume and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Halloween costume.

Since tomorrow is Halloween, I figured I had better at least post one Halloween photo this month.

I think the last time I dressed up for Halloween was my freshman year of college for a sorority party. I went as Mini Mouse – 1. because I like Mini and 2. because it was cheap; and you know how all college students like cheap. So, are you all dressing up this year? If so, I would love to hear what you plan on going as!

And don’t forget next Friday starts our new Flashback Friday theme “Family Ties”. Simply post pics of you and your family, immediate or extended, and link up!

Field Trip

2009-10-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

Regardless of how I feel about the name “Chester’s Party Barn” (admit it, that so does not sound like an appropriate place for little kids…or me for that matter), that is where Jack’s Pre-K class ventured on their very first field trip.

The parents were asked to come along as well, so I loaded up my camera, lined up behind the school bus and 50 other cars, and off we went.

“Chester’s Party Barn” is located out in the sticks. Literally it was down dirt road after dirt road. And somehow along the way I got lost.

How I lose a big yellow school bus and 50 other cars is beyond me, but I did.

Stick me in a crowded city with road signs and I’m fine. But lead me down dirt roads surrounded by farms, and you might as well blind-fold me.

I digress. So, eventually (after having to ask for directions not once, but twice), I made it.

And despite the weather being crummy, the kids had a blast.

They road hay rides,

pumpkin bowled,

and decorated their own pumpkins among many other things.

And afterwards, miraculously, we all (including myself – although I was 2 miles short of running completely out of gas) found our way home.

He’s a maniac, maniac on the floor

2009-10-28T01:07:00.001-07:00

For the past few weeks, Jack has been involved in his first organized sport. Although neither his dad nor I ever played soccer, this was the sport Jack begged to play.

[yes, they are playing indoors on a basketball court…the weather has been poor lately and we (the parents) are all just wanting to finish the season]

I wasn’t real sure how he would like it, but as the weeks have gone on, Jack has become more and more intense with regards to the sport.

His favorite position is goalie; although, I’m not real sure it doesn’t stress the poor kid out. The ball doesn’t make it his way very often; in fact, the ball stays mostly out of bounds during the four-five-and-six-year-old games. But when it does make it down his way, Jack ends up…well…you’ll see in the following video -

What he’s doing with his feet, or where he even got that from…I have no idea. If it wasn’t so cute and funny, it might just be embarrassing.

Tony Chestnut

2009-10-27T07:40:00.001-07:00

Jack’s elementary school hosted their 8th annual poetry night yesterday evening. Although the following video is not really a poem, it is still too stinkin’ cute!

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Limoncello Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Shabby Apple Dare to Design Limoncello Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Flashback Friday

2009-10-22T21:56:00.001-07:00

October’s theme: “Costume Party.” You can post photos of you or your children dressed in some sort of costume and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Halloween costume.

Look at me go! I think this is the first time I have published Flashback Friday early, well, in quite some time.

In college, it seems like I was constantly dressing up for one thing or another…I think a lot of that just comes with the territory of being in a sorority (or as we called them “Social Service Clubs”).

We were constantly have one themed soiree after another.

From Luau’s

to Disco Parties, and then even during our annual “Spring Sing” show… it seemed like the fun would never {and I do mean never - in the most sarcastic way} end! : )

i heart faces – week 41

2009-10-18T19:48:00.001-07:00

The month of October is dedicated to breast cancer awareness; and to show their support for such a cause, i heart faces’ theme this week is all about “Pink”.

Cancer awareness is an important subject to me; but breast cancer awareness truly holds a place near and dear to my heart. My grandmother lost her battle with breast cancer in the early 80s and every year I take part in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in memory of her. She was an amazing woman! I hate that her life was cut so short. She would have absolutely adored my boys and they would have worshiped the ground she walked on.

I was hoping to have a more profound “Pink” photo for this week but I just couldn’t think of anything.

The following photo is not only of pink cheeks and pink lips; but the little girl pictured is a representation of the next generation - a generation in which hopefully the cure for this terrible disease will finally be discovered.

To see more “Pink” photos or to join in yourself or if you would just like to make a contribution towards breast cancer research and awareness, head on over to i heart faces.

Flashback Friday

2009-10-16T10:41:00.001-07:00

October’s theme: “Costume Party.” You can post photos of you or your children dressed in some sort of costume and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Halloween costume.

I am somewhat obsessed with history…family history to be exact. I think it’s so interesting to know not only the names of the people from which we descended but their stories as well.

For the past year or so, I have been diving into the history of my dad’s side of the family. I have enlisted the help of aunts, uncles and cousins and the information they have passed along has been intriguing to say the least.

Among the information, they have also sent photos; and you know how much I LOVE photos. What amazing things I will have to pass on to my children!!

One photo was actually of my dad as a little kid, dressed up in his favorite Zorro costume. With this month’s theme being “Costume Party", I couldn’t help but post it.

Seriously, is that not the cutest thing you have ever seen?! My boys would have totally dug an outfit like this!!

Rain, rain go away

2009-10-14T07:45:00.001-07:00

I really thought I would finally have some stuff to blog about this week. Jack had both a poetry evening and a field trip on this week’s agenda; but neither panned out due to the rainy weather and because so many of the kids have been absent due to illness. Therefore, both events have been rescheduled for a later date.

I have, however, been meaning to write about some of the rather funny things Jack has said lately. So since I can’t seem to think of anything else to blog about…

Every Sunday after church, when we pile into the car, we always ask Jack about his class – what he learned, whether or not he enjoyed it, etc. Typically his answer is, “I don’t remember.” But one Sunday, he was more than thrilled to tell us about the Bible story he had learned.

In Genesis, the story of the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is told. For those who are unfamiliar with the passages, angels visit a man named Lot and warn him and his family of the catastrophe that is about to happen. Lot lingers, but later he along with his wife and daughters are more-or-less forced out of the city by the angels so that their life might be spared. They are told to flee to a nearby city and to never look back. Lot’s wife, however, does look back and is instantly turned into a pillar of salt.

I tell you all of that because that one Sunday when Jack was asked what he learned about, he emphatically said, “Someone was turned into a caterpillar of salt!!” We tried to correct him; but he was certain that it was most definitely a caterpillar.

The other story is relatively short…

Jack and Beau were playing with some blocks the other day and Jack wanted to show me what he had built. I told him how good it was and that I was proud of him and he replied with, “Yeah, it’s my arts and crap.”

I’m thinking I need to get the poor boy’s ears checked.

Flashback Friday

2009-10-09T08:28:00.001-07:00

October’s theme: “Costume Party.” You can post photos of you or your children dressed in some sort of costume and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Halloween costume.

For those of you who are new around here, I used to be an ice skater. I have skated since the age of four; and when I went to college, I began coaching the sport. It wasn’t until I had my first child, that I gave it all up.

There are some days when I really miss it – the smell of the ice, the feel of my blades gliding along the slick surface, the complete freedom of movement from my head to my toes. I really do love ice skating!

There are, however, things I don’t miss about the sport – being at the freezing cold ice rink at 4 a.m, the jarring feeling when you fall, the nervousness that makes your belly ache when you are about to compete or perform, and the globs of makeup that would break your face out for years (at least that’s what I continue to blame my acne on), and the heavy, awkward costumes that would keep you from jumping high or spinning fast.

Not all of the costumes were that way, but there were some that were just ridiculous; and then there were others that despite their weighing more than my two-year-old, left very little to the imagination and thus left you freezing your hiney off.

Busy bees AND a new blog and website

2009-10-08T09:15:00.001-07:00

Hello, world! You probably think I have forgotten about you all. I don’t blame you one bit; because at times, it feels like I forget about myself.

Life has been crazy. I keep thinking things will slow down but for some reason, my schedule seems to get more and more hectic.

In the past few weeks we have done a number of things:

We attended Disney On Ice. And even though Jack was sick (notice his green tint in the photo), he still seemed to enjoy it.

My parents came to Oklahoma for a short week, and can you believe I didn’t take any photos?!?!

Jack has been playing soccer. They had their first game Tuesday night and won!

I have been shooting and editing a number of photos, some of which I can’t show you because they are meant as Christmas gifts.

And I have FINALLY opened up a Melinda Brookshire Photography blog and website! I am extremely excited about it (or maybe I am just excited that it is done). So go by and check it out and let me know what you think. From now on the majority of my photography related posts will be posted there so that I can get my family blog back to being my family blog. However, I will continue to post my i heart faces entries here.

I hope you all are doing well. Please accept my sincerest apologies for not being more attentive to not only my blog but all of yours as well.

Flashback Friday

2009-10-02T08:25:00.001-07:00

October’s theme: “Costume Party.” You can post photos of you or your children dressed in some sort of costume and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Halloween costume.

I spent the beginning of my third year of college abroad with some of my closest and dearest friends. We lived in Vienna, Austria but were able to travel to 20+ countries while there. It was an amazing experience!

While there, we all celebrated Halloween together. Since spending money on costumes was not really an option or a necessity, we got creative with what we could find in our rooms.

I opted for a rather scary Goth look since I had just purchased this really killer black Euro-coat; and my friend Jonathan went as David Hasselhoff because it seems like everywhere we went, Europeans loved the Hoff.

All of my friends got even more creative.

Some used duct tape, other’s used bed sheets, while Jayna, Lynn and Mandy used some of their adorable accessories and t-shirts they had in their suitcase.

We really had such a blast. It’s so hard to believe that it was exactly 10 years ago that we were all there – unmarried, no children, and the world and all of its possibilities at our fingertips.

i heart faces – week 38

2009-09-27T20:26:00.001-07:00

This week’s theme over at i heart faces is “Blue.” I can’t think of anything more appropriate than blue jeans and a somewhat blue expression. To see more “Blue” photos or to join in yourself, head on over to i heart faces.

Flashback Friday

2009-09-25T08:44:00.001-07:00

September’s theme: “Dear Old Golden Rule Days” – post any type of school photo, whether posed or candid.

You guys are going to have to forgive me; but I’m going to have to forgo today’s Flashback Friday. My parents are coming into town on Sunday, my house is a disaster, my fridge and pantry are completely empty, and I have five million photos left to edit before this weekend’s session; and to top it all off, there is no school today (can you sense my excitement? - {rolling eyes}). So basically it is just the same ol’-same ol’ around the Brookshire household.

I am going to go ahead and post the linky that way if you still want to do it, please feel free. I will try to get around to your blogs this weekend and see what crazy photos from your school years you posted.

Next week is October, so you know what that means – it’s time for a new theme. October’s theme is “Costume Party.” You can post photos of you or your children dressed in some sort of costume and it doesn’t necessarily have to be a Halloween costume.

Have a great weekend everyone!

“Catching Fire”

2009-09-23T17:20:00.001-07:00

Holy cow! Do you realize it has been a little over five months since I last reviewed a book I have read? That is almost insane to me knowing how many books I actually read over the summer.

From The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare to other young adult novelists like Alyson Noel, P.C and Kristin Cast, and Aprilynne Pike, I was in no shortage of fantastical worlds filled with fairies, vampires, werewolves, and other immortal creatures. Not to worry though, I of course varied my genres with a few adult books by authors like Jodi Picoult and Adriana Trigiani. Why I didn’t review any of these novels is beyond me because some of them were truly riveting and I would have highly recommended them.

As for my most current read though….well, I just couldn’t let the moment slip by without mentioning a little something about it.

A little less than a year ago I reviewed a book by Suzanne Collins called The Hunger Games. If you were around then, you may remember that I absolutely loved the book but hated that it was a series. I am, without a doubt, an instant gratification kind of girl; and knowing that I would have to wait a whole year for the second book to be released…well, let’s just say that doesn’t sit too well with me.

But on September 1st, the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire, was released.

Although I have had it since then, I finally picked it up yesterday (not that I really had the time) and finished it last night – no lie – it was that stinkin’ good! And talk about a major cliff hanger at the end…I am about to pull my hair out knowing that I am going to have to wait, yet again, another year for the final book to be released.

I don’t want to give you a play-by-play review of Catching Fire because if you have yet to read the first one, I would hate to spoil it for you.

Unlike most second installments of a series though, Catching Fire jumps right into the action and heart of the book. There is really no backtracking to fill you in or remind you of what happened in The Hunger Games. So again, if you have yet to read the first, do so…NOW! I promise you won’t be sorry with this series. {Don’t tell anyone; but…I may just like it more than Twilight (insert sounds of shock and awe) – but I’ll hold out on that judgment until after I have read the third and final book.}

So, what good books have you all read lately?

A sneaky peak…

2009-09-21T17:38:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to photograph a super lovely family or rather families. First up was a mother, father, son team; and oh my – were they ever a beautiful trio!

i heart faces – week 37

2009-09-21T06:30:00.001-07:00

I am so excited about this week over at i heart faces! Not only am I fond of candid photos but the judge this week is my absolute favorite photographer – no lie. Rebekah Westover is absolutely amazing. From her photo locations to her perfect processing, one can’t help but be inspired by every one of her shots. If and when she ever offers a workshop (hint, hint Rebekah!!!), I am totally signing up!

For this week’s contest I chose yet another photo from a wedding. This time, however, I am entering one of the pre-wedding preparations. This little girl was not only the flower girl but the bride’s daughter as well. When I arrived on the scene, this is how she was sitting to get her hair done. It was one of my very first shots from the day and coincidentally one of my favorites. To see more completely candid shots or to view Rebekah’s special page, head on over to i heart faces.

Flashback Friday

2009-09-18T08:58:00.001-07:00

September’s theme: “Dear Old Golden Rule Days” – post any type of school photo, whether posed or candid.

I originally had something else planned to post for this week’s Flashback Friday; but with Patrick Swayze loosing his battle with Pancreatic Cancer on Monday, I decided to change it up a little bit. Rather than posting a photo from my school days, I have decided to just post a story.

Patrick Swayze got me into a lot of trouble as a pre-teen.

I’m pretty sure I was in the fourth grade. It was my first year in a public school. And let’s just say my parents were pretty…conservative.

Dirty Dancing had come out on VHS and everyone was talking about it. I begged and pleaded with my mom to let me watch it, knowing full-well the answer would be a resounding NO because dancing was of the devil. (I’m just kidding. Those were not my parents’ exact words; but that was pretty much the general idea. And don’t worry, they’ve lightened up ALOT since then.)

So I went about my sheltered way and missed getting to talk about the craze with everyone else.

Then one week, I got an invitation to a slumber party. I was so excited. My first real slumber party! All the girls at school were talking about it and I was thrilled to be a part of the conversation again.

Friday evening finally rolled around and as my mom was dropping me off, she leaned over to kiss me goodbye and to tell me that if the girls were planning to watch Dirty Dancing, I should call her immediately and she would come pick me up.

Sure enough, the evening rolled on and once we were all settled into our sleeping bags, one of the girls popped Dirty Dancing into the VCR. My conscience was yelling at me to call my mom; but my desire to fit it got the better of me. I of course stayed and watched the move – and LOVED it – but I knew that if my mom ever found out, I would be in a load of trouble.

If there is one thing I learned growing up, it was the fact that moms ALWAYS know. And if I learned a second thing while growing up, it was the fact that I am a terrible liar.

Mom picked me up the next morning as scheduled and as soon as I got in the car she asked if I had watched Dirty Dancing. “What?” I asked. (I always ask “what?” when I’m about to lie. I guess I think it’s going to give me a few more seconds to get my story straight; when in reality, it just gives me away. The thing is I knew I did it, but I just couldn’t stop myself.)

Anyway, my mom immediately knew I was lying and for the first time in my life I was grounded – from what and for how long I don’t remember. All I know is that Patrick Swayze was the cause of my early childhood delinquency.

Tying up loose ends

2009-09-17T07:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I posted two pretty incomplete blog posts. Sorry about that. In this post I will try and rectify it.

First of all – WOW! I was completely overwhelmed with the number of responses I had to the monitor calibration post. Thank you all so much. The one that most of you chose was the second and the second was (drum roll, please)………. ….the BEFORE calibration photo. It too is my favorite; but on the newly calibrated monitor it look dark, dull, and their skin tones were a little orangey-red. All-in-all it looked awful and I started to panic that those were the photos everyone was seeing. So I set out to edit the photo again now that my monitor was calibrated and this is what I came up with. After having read your responses, I quickly erased my new calibration profile and reverted back to my computer’s default setting. Now that I am looking at this second photo, sans monitor calibration, it looks almost ghostly to me.

So anyways, it’s back to the drawing board for me and my nifty new little gadget: the X-Rite EODIS2 Eye-One Display 2 – it is the one my photo lab uses and it seemed to get great reviews. At this point, I can’t really say if I am happy with it or not. It is super easy to use, I think I may just be too dumb to figure out the advanced settings. But nevertheless, I really do appreciate your input and am sure I will be asking for it again in the near future.

********************************************************************

Now, onto my Jack story…

First of all, Jack is fine. A doctor revealed he sustained a scratch to his cornea. The patch is probably there just to keep his little fingers out of his eyes.

Second, excuse the following 4th of July photos. That’s what I had, because that’s usually when stuff like this would happen…usually.

Jack’s a boy.

His daddy’s a boy.

Boys like to blow things up. I don’t know why. They just do. I guess it’s just part of their genetic make-up…or something.

Anyways, I have been going to Yoga three times a week (yay for me!). Normally, because the hubby is usually still working, the boys head over to their Nana and Papa’s house for that hour. Tuesday night though, my lovely and darling hubster was home. I donned my workout clothes, grabbed my workout bag, waved sweetly at all three of them sitting on the couch, and headed out the front door.

In small town America, you can walk just about everywhere; and so that’s what I do on my Yoga days – I walk – to class and from class. I consider it my warm-up and cool-down : )

As I’m walking, I hear a car pull up behind me. I turn to see who it is and there is my family. The hubby of course was driving and the two boys were hanging out the passenger window waving and yelling hello. I didn’t know where they were going, but I did notice: no child seats, no seat-belts, nada. I’m surprised one of the boys wasn’t driving the car. Ya’ just never know. In small town America you can get away with just about anything.

After Yoga, I head home. I walk in the door and Jack is screaming bloody murder. His eye is killing him and although I continue to ask what happened no one ever really answers me. Jack continues to wail and the hubby continues to bark orders at me to get this that and the other…I love it when he does that (yeah, not so much).

When he asked for Children’s Tylenol though, I was stumped. We had Infant and Adult, but no Children’s. I knew Nana and Papa would have it and I knew that maybe NOW I could get some answers.

It was at their house that I found out that my normally-highly-intelligent husband had been letting the boys play with Roman Candles. A spark flew out and hit Jack in the eye. With regards to the boys playing with fireworks - I wish I could say I was shocked and outraged; but honestly, I’s sadly used to it. I hate it and I have repeatedly told them how dangerous it is. But I’m used to it.

When I got home, Jack was still screaming bloody murder. Josh was still trying to calm him down long enough to flush out his eye. And me, well, I handed the hubby the Children’s Tylenol, said “I told ya’ so,” and walked to a quieter room.

Why kids should not play with fireworks

2009-09-16T15:48:00.001-07:00

Or maybe a more appropriate title would be: “Why daddies should not be allowed to stay at home with the kids while mommies go to Yoga for an hour.”

I gotta know…

2009-09-16T08:06:00.001-07:00

I am in desperate need of your opinion. I have been working on calibrating my computer. I ended up buying some software to do so. And now that I have it all done, I swear the whites on my computer look muddier than they did before.

So here is what I am going to do. I am going to post two photos and without telling you which is the “before calibration” and which one is the “after calibration,” I would love it if you could tell me which one looks better to you.

Thanks in advance for your time and opinions!!

i heart faces – week 36

2009-09-13T18:47:00.001-07:00

“Contemplative” is the theme this week over at i heart faces.

“I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.”
~Author Unknown

To see more “Contemplative” photos or to join in the fun yourself, head on over to i heart faces.

Flashback Friday

2009-09-11T08:18:00.001-07:00

September’s theme: “Dear Old Golden Rule Days” – post any type of school photo, whether posed or candid.

Oh. My. Word!! These photos just keep getting better and better. You all must realize how much I love and adore you, right? I mean seriously, the fact that I would post such horrific photos on here should attest to that fact. Yeah, I got nothin’.

Apparently though, I went through a stage where I thought hunter green was a good color for photos. Why? I have no idea! Simply tragic! And check out those eyebrows!

However, did you know that blazers and padded shoulders were back in style? This photo should be a warning to all those who choose to follow said fashion style – in 15 or 20 years, you’ll look back and say, “What the heck was I thinking?!”

Fix-It Friday #28

2009-09-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

What a precious little one! And really such a lovely photo.

Before: I decided that there was a little too much of that precious head in the photo for my taste and since it wasn’t really adding to the overall feel, I cropped a lot of it out (8x10)

After:

I also cleaned up the little bit of food on her face and then played with the color, contrast and tone.

I then ran Rita’s (from Coffee Shop) “Perfect Portrait” action and adjusted the layers to my liking, dodging and burning the shadows on her face.

Next I ran PW’s “Soft and Faded” and reduced the opacity to around 30 or 40%.

And last but certainly not least I ran Jodi’s (from MCP Actions) “Crystal Clear Web Resize.”

To see how others touched up this cutie-patootie, head on over to i heart faces.

Terrific twos

2009-09-08T19:38:00.001-07:00

I’m using a little reverse psychology with that blog title…I’m thinking that if I entitle this post that way, rather than “The Terrible Twos” maybe I can will the “terrific” part into being, because as you can see.... (yes, that is a box of dish detergent and the next photo is of Beau after he snuck a couple of Oreo cookies) we’re already off to a rough start.

So, as if you couldn’t tell (by the above photos or even by my lack of blog posting lately), life around the Brookshire household has been chaos. We have celebrated two birthdays in the past week – mine (I celebrated the second anniversary of my 29th birthday – long live 29!!) and Beau’s.Poor Beau is obviously my second child. One can tell by the low key birthday I just threw him. Usually I send out cute invitations, this time it was a tacky Facebook invite and phone calls. Normally, I would buy balloons and a piñata, this time I stuck with the idea that swimming and playing outside was enough entertainment for everyone.

Maybe one day Beau will be mad at me for not throwing him a bigger party but for now, he doesn’t even remember what happened an hour ago.

Beautiful family

2009-09-08T07:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, I got to photograph one of the most beautiful families. I love the way some of their photos turned out; but again, how could I fail when it seems like good looks are a prerequisite to be a member of their family?

i heart faces – week 35

2009-09-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

Update: Jack and Beau placed 8th in this week's contest!!!

This past week Beau started his Mother’s Day Out program so it was the first week both of my boys were out of the house (hallelujah!!!).

I wish I could say I got a lot accomplished during those two days of childlessness; but life never seems to work out the way one plans.

What I did manage to accomplish was a photo to enter into this week’s i heart faces theme, “Back To School”.

Although the following photo is not the best one I have ever taken, I have to say that I am absolutely in love with it… mainly because it shows how much my boys truly love and idolize each other. They both really enjoy school but I firmly believe they enjoy being with each other more.

To see more “Back To School” photos, head on over to i heart faces.

Flashback Friday

2009-09-04T08:23:00.001-07:00

September’s theme: “Dear Old Golden Rule Days” – post any type of school photo, whether posed or candid.

I seem to be on a roll of posting embarrassing photos of myself, so why stop now?

When searching through some of my old school photos, I came across the following portrait. Seriously, what says “school” more than one of the cheesy class photos?! Can you pick out which one I am?

A little behind

2009-09-02T07:28:00.001-07:00

I have been completely overwhelmed lately, so please forgive me for not only neglecting my blog but for not getting by to visit yours as well. Maybe one of these days I will get my head screwed on straight and get a routine worked out.

Anyway, life, as usual, has been rather hectic. In addition to photographing eight lovely children and celebrating Beau’s 2nd birthday (post to come later) over the weekend, we also had our small town fair. What that means for me – sitting around for one whole day accepting entries for the photography contest, 3 nights of fair fun, a parade in which my kids dress up and walk, or rather ride in their case, down Main Street,(On a side note: the boys went as Brookshire Plumbing Jr., complete with toilette, because both their dad and Papa are plumbers; and in a small town, everyone is aware of that fact. The boys placed 3rd!)

and little games designated for all of the kiddos. (Jack won 1st place in the sack race and he was so excited, especially since he won tickets to use at the fair!)

The next generation

2009-08-31T21:29:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning I had the great pleasure of photographing a group of kiddos – eight to be exact. Just the thought of photographing that many kids was a little nerve-wracking but the weather was perfect and the children were so well-behaved. I am amazed I was able to get them all looking at the camera!

Flashback Friday

2009-08-28T07:35:00.001-07:00

August theme: “Water, Water Everywhere” - post photos of lake, pool, sprinkler, ocean (you get the point) fun.

Do you remember a while back when we were posting photos of “Black Tie Affairs” for Flashback Friday?

Yeah, well I do; and if I remember correctly I had at one point said that “I use to not be so cool. My eyebrows were untouched, I permed my hair and my keen fashion since had not yet fully developed” and then I posted a pretty embarrassing photo. Yep, that’s the one.

But let me tell you something…THAT photo has got nothing on the ones I am getting ready to show you.

OH. MY. WORD!! Yes, that is me on the left. I wish I could tell you when this was. I am sincerely hoping it was the 80s – because, again, with the perm…Really?

Oh, just wait it gets worse – A LOT worse.

So even though I do not know when these photos were taken, I can tell you that they were taken in Panama City, Florida. My friend Jennifer and her family invited me to tag along with them on one of their family vacations.

As to who was actually in charge of packing my suitcase…well, only the good Lord knows the answer to that one.

Fix-It Friday #26

2009-08-28T06:41:00.001-07:00

Before:

After:Straightened and cropped the photo to a 5x5.

Adjusted the color, tone and contrast.

Ran PW’s Sharpen and Define and then the Slightly Lighten twice, reducing the second to around 50%.

Ran Coffee Shop Perfect Portrait adjusting multiple layers: eye define, eye brighten, reducing the lighten and masking it out completely on the background, and using only the urban pop on the flowers .

Then used MCP’s Crystal Clear Web Resize.

To see how others tackled this already beautiful portrait, head on over to i heart faces.

“Boy, n.: a noise with dirt on it.”

2009-08-25T15:08:00.001-07:00

Keeping up with just one of these two yahoos on a daily basis is a chore in and of itself. But take them to an outdoor park, together, and it’s an all new ball game. Talk about short attention spans…Beau and his cousin Owen went from swinging, to sliding and pretending (apparently Beau is pretending to be Miss America in this next photo),and then on to eating and of course running. And then they repeated all of those steps over again…all within a matter of 30 seconds.

i heart faces – week 33

2009-08-23T20:01:00.001-07:00

This week’s theme is so fun! I can’t wait to see what everyone else contributes to “Nostalgia” week over at i heart faces.

I took this photo of Beau a few weeks ago and between the Rolling Stones t-shirt, the Radio Flyer Rocket and the muted post processing, it just kind of screams nostalgia to me.

Take a step back in time this week by visiting i heart faces and seeing all the other nostalgic photos.

Fix-It Friday #25

2009-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I didn’t get to enter this week’s i heart faces challenge so I figured I better at least join in Fix-It Friday.

Before:

After:

Flashback Friday

2009-08-21T08:30:00.001-07:00

August theme: “Water, Water Everywhere” - post photos of lake, pool, sprinkler, ocean (you get the point) fun.

Yes, I’m still here. I have just been overwhelmed with this first full week of school, editing photos, and just really trying to establish a routine that works well for me and the rest of my family.

But you know I can’t miss a Flashback Friday – so, here are yet some more pics of my childhood and the time we spent in West Palm Beach, Florida. These were taken in May of 1980 when I was a little over a year-and-a-half old.

Me with my dad at the beach. W00-woo look at those legs (my dad’s not mine)!! Me with my mom. (I am loving my weird-o swimming device!)

And me at the pool…Since my granddad’s place didn’t have a pool, one of the hotels graciously let us use theirs. If I remember correctly, the staff of the hotel knew us by name because we were there so much.

First day flubs – yes, “flubs” is plural

2009-08-14T18:46:00.001-07:00

As many of you know, Jack started Pre-K on Thursday. Where we live this is an all day, every day thing – just like grade school.

Jack was excited to attend a new school and he did great with me dropping him off and leaving him there with perfect strangers.

His problems started later in the day (probably around the time he started getting tired because he is use to sleeping until 9:30/10:oo in the morning).

At about the same time I published his letter, the phone rang. When I looked at the caller-id, it said it was the school. My initial thought was, “You have got to be kidding me. It is the first day and I can’t believe they are ALREADY having to call me.”

On the other end of the line was indeed Jack’s teacher. Luckily the call was not to inform me that he had misbehaved but rather to ask me to bring him some extra shorts and underwear because apparently when he was “peeing standing up” he accidentally dribbled on himself.

So, I woke Beau up from a nap in which he had just fallen asleep, and I headed to the school with new shorts and underwear in hand. Because we live in a small town, everyone knows not only your name, but your business as well. So it should come as no surprise that as soon as I walked in the door, the receptionist said Jack was in his classroom and I could head on back.

The door to the classroom was open so I stuck my head in. The kids were getting ready for naptime, but the primary teacher and Jack were missing. The teacher’s aid quickly informed me that they were probably still in the bathroom and so I turned around and started to head back in the opposite direction.

At about the same time, Jack’s teacher comes more-or-less running down the hallway and says in a rather frantic voice, “Don’t panic, we’re looking for him now.”

HUH?

My little Jack was missing. They thought he was still in the bathroom, but could not find him. Teachers, teacher aids, administrators and secretaries were all frantically roaming the hall in search for my “lost” son.

Amazingly, I remained calm. Maybe that makes me a bad mom. Maybe I should have been panicked or at least worried…but I knew my son and I knew he was fine – he was either lost, or hiding (if it was the latter, I would kill him later).

After minutes of searching, the receptionist sent out an “All Call” over the school intercom. It was at this point I started to feel a little antsy; again, not because I was worried about him but because I was worried that once his name went “Public” he would have to live with it for the rest of his life and we, his parents, living in a small town, would have to hear about it forever.

Because God is good and did not want us to suffer from that type of humiliation, at the exact same moment the receptionist was about to mention Jack’s name, someone yelled out, “We found him!”

Apparently Jack was in his classroom the entire time, hiding in a tent with a bunch of other kids. Although I had previously thought I would kill him if he was hiding, I couldn’t fault him for being where he was supposed to be.

Now all I can think is, “His poor teacher…what a way to start off the school year, knowing that you have lost someone’s kid and now knowing that she has to put up with him for the rest of the year.”

Flashback Friday

2009-08-14T09:08:00.001-07:00

August theme: “Water, Water Everywhere” - post photos of lake, pool, sprinkler, ocean (you get the point) fun.

I decided to stick with some oldies but goodies again this week. The following photos were again taken in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1979; but this time we were enjoying some time at sea aboard my Granddad’s new boat which he had named Mi-Sue-Deb, after my dad, my mom, and my aunt.

Apparently I was 8 months old going on 16.

My very handsome Granddady and me…I can say my Granddad is handsome, right?

Hey Dad, don’t you think you should be keeping your eyes on where you’re going?

Mom, you were so cute with that lime green hankie on your head : )

Family photo fun

2009-08-13T19:10:00.001-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity of photographing four adorable siblings the other day. Despite the hot and humid weather, these kiddos were real troopers.

These are a few of my favorites from the day. Actually, it is more than a few; but what can you expect when photographing four little ones who are as cute as they can be?

Thanks Andee and Kori for letting me photograph your beautiful children. And to Kori and Kaci – thanks so much for sweating it out with me by hauling around a couch and handling my lenses! You two can be my assistants whenever you like. : )

Dear Jack,

2009-08-13T11:35:00.001-07:00

Today you begin the next phase of your life. Your daddy and I are so proud of you and have complete confidence that you will succeed in all of your endeavors.

Even though we are excited to watch you continue on your road to becoming a man (especially when we see your enthusiasm at “getting bigger”), we can’t help but feel a little bit of sadness today as well.

For four years, we have been not only your parents but your best friends, your teachers, your role models, and your mentors. Today, however, all of that changes. You have gone off to school to make new best friends, to learn from new teachers, and to adopt new role models and mentors. Hopefully, our presence in your life over the past four years has prepared you for this new stage of life.

Although you don’t understand all of this now, one day in the future maybe you’ll look back at this letter and know that no matter what, your daddy and I will always be here for you – whether you need a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, a button to burst, or a knee to slap. We will always love you with every inch of our being. And we will constantly be praying for you – that you become the Godly man that God intends for you to be.

With all of our love,

Daddy and Mama

The end of a great summer

2009-08-11T09:16:00.001-07:00

We may not have gone on vacation this summer but we had a great time discovering things close to home.

A while back, one of my friends from high school drove up from Texas with her husband and two boys and while the hubbies were away, the girls and kiddos went to play.

We spent the day catching up on each others lives over the past ten years all the while chasing four rambunctious boys around the Science Museum Oklahoma. If you live in Oklahoma and have not yet been to the Science Museum, pack up your things and go now! It was a blast and perfect for all ages.

Also this summer, we ventured out to Jenks, Oklahoma (which is on the other side of the state) to visit the Oklahoma Aquarium. Despite our lovely state being land locked, the aquarium was quite impressive. Beau loved getting to stick his hands in the water to pet Sting Rays and Starfish …Jack, not so much. He was just thrilled about his new shark necklace.

Ahhhhh, accessories…a boy after my own heart.

Anyway, since Jenks is a pretty good haul across the state, we decided to make the most out of our trip back home by stopping at a relatively new and unique filling station called Pops.

It is located on old Route 66 and houses any and every type of soda you could ever imagine or want.

Being the cultured person that I am, I decided to try a local root beer. Unfortunately, it tasted like….well, let’s just say it wasn’t very good. So Josh bought me a different kind.

Gotta love that man’s sense of humor…or not.

Even Beau, who you’d think would be too young to partake in such a thing, enjoyed stopping at the new Oklahoma landmark.

One more (I think) – “Reflections”

2009-08-10T21:26:00.001-07:00

Sorry, I know I said I wouldn’t post any more wedding photos but…We Picture This is having a contest. You’re suppose to post a “reflection” photo and I just couldn’t resist.

Nikon D90

Nikon 50 mm 1/8 lens

Focal length: 50mm

ISO 200

Aperture: f/2.8

Exposure bias: +0.7 step

Shutter: 1/40

i heart faces – week 29

2009-08-10T18:18:00.001-07:00

This week’s theme at i heart faces is “Funny, Silly Faces.” And although my friend Karen will no longer be my friend after I post this on my blog - I just couldn’t resist. It was the perfect “silly” photo (okay, so maybe it’s more “crazy-scary” than “silly”…but we all certainly enjoyed a good laugh at it afterwards).

For my pet photo, I decided to post another photo from our trip to the Oklahoma Aquarium last Thursday.

To see more “Silly, Funny Faces” or “Pet” photos, head on over to i heart faces.

Flashback Friday

2009-08-07T09:34:00.001-07:00

August theme: “Water, Water Everywhere” - post photos of lake, pool, sprinkler, ocean (you get the point) fun.

I have decided to try and shorten my Flashback Friday posts because in all honesty, they have gotten long and ridiculous. So this week I am only posting a few – some definite oldies but goodies!

These first two were taken in West Palm Beach, Florida in May of 1979. I was 8 months old and enjoying every minute of being out in the sun and water with my two favorite people – my mom (who will surely disown me now that I have posted yet another pic of her in her bathing suit) and my dad.

The next two were also taken in May 1979, but this time I was enjoying the sun and water in my granddad’s backyard. (Enjoy this one because it is the ONLY time I will ever post a photo of my bare bottom on the internet because this is the ONLY time it was ever really cute.) And this is a photo of my cool cousin Tab, who I’m sure was being a very good sport at her oh-so-cool age, by playing with me in what looks like only an inch of water.

Can’t wait to see what you all post!

Can you guess what we did today?

2009-08-06T20:48:00.001-07:00

The last few…

2009-08-05T14:37:00.001-07:00

Or rather several…I promise. I’m sure you guys are already getting tired of seeing wedding photos, so even though I have millions more to edit, I’m only going to post these last few. Plus, I had to show off my new logo my generous dad had made for me – Thanks, Dad!

It’s all in the details

2009-08-04T23:49:00.001-07:00

If I was really on top of things, I would list all the vendors for you all…but I’m not, so I can’t. So, I guess pictures will just have to do until the happy couple returns from their honeymoon.

By the way, if you are in want or need of a new lens for your DSLR…head on over to i heart faces. They are giving away a Tamron 18-270mm VC - the World’s First and Only 15X Zoom Lens! Who wouldn’t want a new lens?

A preview

2009-08-04T10:36:00.001-07:00

I’m still here…just recovering from my first wedding shoot. To say it was nerve racking and stressful would be an understatement. Of course, that’s not to say I didn’t have a great time photographing such a beautiful and happy event.

I have yet to edit the photos. I first need to calibrate my computer before I can even get to that stage; but, since you all have been so encouraging and supportive, I wanted to show you a couple of the shots I was able to get - that even without editing, I am pretty excited about.

Hide N Seek Woodland Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hide N Seek Woodland Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Flashback Friday

2009-07-30T19:29:00.001-07:00

July’s theme: Holiday Road. Post photos of past vacations.

So this is it, the last Friday of July. Next week we will start our new theme of “Water, Water Everywhere” where you are assigned to post photos of lake, pool, sprinkler, ocean (you get the point) fun.

This week has been so crazy, I haven’t really had a chance to work on my scanner so I am stuck with some still rather recent photos.

On Monday, for i heart faces, I posted a pic of Jack and my sister Beth enjoying the beach in Destin, Florida last February (2008). What I didn’t explain was that that was the end of a very exciting vacation my mom treated the boys and I to aboard the “Disney Boat” (as Jack likes to call it).

We attended Pirate Parties, swam in pools shaped like Mickey Mouse, played on indoor playgrounds, visited with characters, and ate till our tummies were more than full.

We also got to visit the Bahamas and Disney’s very own island, Castaway Cay, where we were blessed with scenic views such as these. Not to sound cheesy, but it really was a magical vacation. (Thanks again, Mom! The boys and I are ready to go again whenever you are.)

So that’s it. Here’s to hoping you all have had a wonderful summer filled with magical vacations of your own.

See you next month for our “Water, Water Everywhere” Flashback Friday theme.